HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/18/2003 Adjourned Meeting 3
CITY OF YAKIMA, WASHINGTON
ADJOURNED MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
NOVEMBER 18, 2003 — 8:30.M.
COUNCIL CHAMBERS - CITY HALL
1. Roll CaII
Present:
Council: Mayor Mary Place, presiding, Council Members Clarence Barnett,
Paul George, John Puccinelli, and Bernard Sims
Staff: Assistant City Manager Rice, Finance and Budget Director Anson,
Edna Pettyjohn, Accountant; and City Clerk Roberts
2. Finance Department (Contingency Reduction Pages 138 -147)
Rita Anson and Edna Pettyjohn were available to answer questions.
Ms. Anson opened the session by describing the contingency plans for Finance and
that all contingency plans are two - tiered. She explained that Finance's plan covers
Municipal Court, Probation, Information Systems, as well as the Outside Agencies.
There was discussion on those things that could trigger the need to implement the
contingency plans, items such as a loss in revenue or unplanned expenses such as
unfunded mandates. This led to a discussion on the potential of SST legislation
(Streamline Sales Tax) that could potentially impact the City's revenue by $350,000.
Council Member George expressed concern about the contingency proposal to
reduce the City's level of support to COG by $10,000. He claimed that
reduction would jeopardize three - quarter of a million dollars of revenue. Ms.
Anson explained that, for the purposes of a contingency reduction, they included
all of the outside agencies. They don't know whether that would be
recommended; further research would have to be done if that level of reduction
was required. Council Member George advised he would not support that level
of cut to COG.
3. Public Works Department (Contingency Reduction Pages PI 127 -137)
® PARKS AND RECREATION (Budget Page H -68, Policy Pages PI 39 -49)
Denise Nichols, Parks and Recreation Manager, and Chris Waarvick, Public
Works Director, were available for questions.
Policy Issues
Revised copies were distributed. Mrs. Nichols explained that fees are reviewed
annually and they have been increased approximately 5% across the board with
exception of recreational swims. The swims have historically been increased
every third year; that would be next year, but some adult programs and the
lessons program are included in the 5% increase.
After School Programs in the Northeast and Southeast Neighborhoods were
previously run by the Substance Abuse Coalition. There is a request for
$75,000 for Parks and Recreation to provide this service with the help of
Americorp as Activity Leaders.
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NOVEMBER 18, 2003- BUDGET MEETING
Central Business District Landscaping is currently paid by the Yakima
Downtown Association and Parks Department maintenance. There is a policy
issue requesting Yakima Downtown Association pay an additional $12,800 to
alleviate the need for subsidizing by the Parks Department.
It was noted that, even with an approximate 5% increase of fees and charges,
Tahoma cemetery's costs are still below other cemeteries.
Budget (Page H -68)
Denise Nichols advised that the Parks and Recreation Commission members
would like to meet with the City Council after the first of the year to go over the
budget issues and challenges for the next year. There was discussion on the
status of the new Senior Center and the Kiwanis Park project. Mrs. Nichols
pointed out that there are only five acres left of undeveloped parkland, south of
Randall Park. Discussion then ensued on the process of obtaining more open
space, vandalism, levels of maintenance, and fencing at Kiwanis Park. Council
Member Sims noted that the Front Street Merchants said they were going to
remove fencing at a parking lot and would donate it to Parks. Parks will
determine if it will be adequate for helping with the vandalism problem at the
Kiwanis project.
Mrs. Nichols said this is the first year the Fisher Park golf course has not
operated in the black. She suggested the best course of action would be to
improve marketing, and solicit the brand new golfer. Other areas that can be
looked at are increasing fees, and delaying openings and closing. Mrs. Nichols
explained that what compounded their expenditures was the retirement of a
long -term employee that required a cash out. Mr. Waarvick responded to
Council Member Barnett's questions about the feasibility of operating Park
facilities with declining usage and increasing costs and said those issues will
be brought before Council to examine as they occur. Whether any recreational
activity is subsidized or not will be a policy decision.
Tom Gates, a member of Parks and Recreation Commission, addressed the
Council regarding the situation with the pools. He noted the pools are
projected to be a revenue loss of about $425,000 this year and encouraged
leadership action to put the Parks Department on better fiscal footing. He
suggested putting a ballot item forward to the public to provide funding for the
pools. He claimed that because the Council has not been willing to address
the pool issue, other areas within Parks and Recreation have had to be cut in
order to subsidize them. Mayor Place questioned whether the Parks
Commission had looked into water parks, and Council Member Puccinelli
suggested having advertising painted onto the bottom of the pools as a source
of revenue. He also said he thinks the public is demanding that we look for
other ways to raise revenues besides raising taxes. Mrs. Nichols said they had
a focus group of citizens study the idea of advertising and they didn't like it.
The downside was the age of the facilities and the short swimming season.
Advertisers are not convinced they would get a return for their investment. It
was also noted that if the Selah aquatics center is built, the pool's participation
numbers will continue to drop.
The Council took a ten - minute recess and resumed the meeting at 10:40 a.m.
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NOVEMBER 18, 2003 — BUDGET MEETING
Other Parks and Recreation items discussed were:
➢ Publication of the Parks and Recreation Program Guide
➢ Southeast Community Center
There was a lengthy discussion on cemetery maintenance costs versus revenue
resulting from pre - purchases, and the potential of future cremain walls. That is
an item that will be looked at by the Cemetery Task Force.
Contingency Plan
Mrs. Nichols described Tier 1 as eliminating outside agency requests and all the
recreation programs, exclusive of adult athletics, and reducing all the free
programs to the community, e.g. summer concerts. Tier 2 would be the
reduction of people and the tree fund.
• TRANSIT (Budget Page H -35, Policy Page PI -60)
Gary Pira, Transit Project Manager, and Ken Mehin, Transit Manager, were
available for questions.
The policy item covers the purchase of three 35 -foot buses to replace three 18-
year old units. With this purchase, the City would become 100% compliant with
ADA regulations.
• STREETS (Budget Page H -11; Policy Page 62)
Shelley Willson, Streets and Traffic Operations Manager, was available for
questions.
Mrs. Willson explained that one of their most frequent requests is for a way to
deal with speeding residential traffic. They have included an unbudgeted policy
issue for $20,000 for signs and physical devices in the neighborhoods. A
discussion on the traffic problem at 16 Avenue and Bonnie Doone developed
as well as on traffic problems in general.
Discussion of the 50/50 Sidewalk Program resulted in Council Member Sims
suggesting the request include an option to change it from $30,000 to $50,000
with the idea that if the money is not used by July, it can be put into repairing
existing sidewalks. Mrs. Willson described the street maintenance program
and how it has gone from a seven- year cycle to a 35 -40 year cycle. Council
Member Barnett raised the issue of the Transportation Plan and emphasized
the need to include plans for 16 Avenue. Also discussed were plans for
unpaved streets. Council Member Sims asked about the impact of the Real
Estate Excise Tax on the budget and Mr. Waarvick advised it had not been
included because it had not yet been enacted. Council Member Sims
suggested some of it be earmarked for the issues Council Member Barnett
described with 16 Avenue. Also noted were the department's involvement in
publications and attendance at citizens' meetings to help raise awareness of
the existing conditions and the process to update the transportation plan.
Mr. Waarvick reviewed a document responding to an earlier question about
how gas tax money is spent. Council Member Puccinelli asked about
pyramiding this money as was suggested by the Capital Improvements
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NOVEMBER 18, 2003,— BUDGET MEETING
Committee earlier in the year. He also questioned whether the City would be
better off doing away with the Street Department and hiring a private company
to maintain the streets. Mrs. Willson responded to the comment about
privatizing street maintenance by explaining the department's functions beyond
just cleaning streets. They deal with on -call emergencies such as wind blown
tree limbs, or toxic spills. Privatizing would not cover all the "on- demand"
activities. Research has shown that the prevailing wage, even with benefits, is
higher than what City staff is being paid. Kay Adams, City Engineer, explained
that the portion of gas tax money that goes to Public Works is unrestricted and
mainly intended for maintenance and operational work and noted that
Ms. Anson had stated that maintenance and operational money cannot be
used as leverage. He also pointed out that the unrestricted money that goes to
Public Works can be used to maintain existing streets and can go to residential
streets while the money that Engineering receives is primarily restricted and
can only be used for federally classified arterial streets.
Council Member Sims suggested setting aside $400,000 to be
used toward getting an increase in matching funds and anticipating that it
would be replaced by REET funds thereby allowing a year's head start towards
matching funds. Mr. Waarvick said REET cannot be used for maintenance
purposes. City Engineer Adams described the timing on matching funds and
said he believed it would be timely to go ahead and wait for REET funds to
obtain matching money.
Contingency Plan
The discussion covered:
> A stormwater position being a reallocation of funds rather than a reduction.
Mrs. Willson explained that, although it doesn't reduce any overall
expenses, it is being subsidized by the Streets budget without an increase
to cover it. As a result they have had to reduce other line items to recover
those costs. One idea that was discussed was turning off every other
streetlight, leaving the arterial streetlights on at the intersections and
turning off mid -block lights.
> Tipping fees — in 2004 the City Street Division would no longer be involved
in the leaf program. There are several things the City could look at, one
being to encourage people to use yard waste containers. Other cities
make bags available that are pre - purchased and if the leaves are in them,
Refuse would pick them up. That way It wouldn't be City subsidized,
citizens would be paying to have leaves picked up.
➢ Tier 2 reductions are all positions involved in the daily activities.
• PUBLIC WORKS ADMINISTRATION (Budget Page H -1)
Chris Waarvick, Director of Public Works, was available for questions.
General discussion included:
> Parks activities resulting from the Larson Park exchange
➢ The new Senior Center and it's expected opening in the spring of 2004
> The need to find clients to run the S.E. Community Center
> The Capital Facilities Committee.
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NOVEMBER 18, 2003 — BUDGET MEETING
• REFUSE (Budget Page H -47)
Nancy Fortier, Refuse Manager, was available for questions. In response to a
question about service with annexations, Mrs. Fortier advised that they stay with
their old refuse carrier for seven years.
• EQUIPMENT RENTAL (Budget Page H -57)
Richard Wonner, Fleet Manager, was available for questions.
Discussion included: -
> Loss of a contract with an outside source for lubes and oil changes
> A more in -depth operational assessment of the Fleet Division
➢ How the rates for 2004 are actual costs for 2003 billed in arrears
4. Adjournment
GEORGE MOVED AND SIMS SECONDED TO ADJOURN TO THE 2:00 P.M.
BUSINESS MEETING. The motion carried by unanimous voice vote. The meeting
adjourned at 11:07 a.m.
READ AND CERTIFIED ACCURATE BY e r, _ / 4•• `' J 4d '
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CITY CLERK MARY PLACE, MAYOR
Minutes prepared by Linda Watkins. An audio and video tape of this meeting are available in the City Clerk's Office
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